CONFIDENTIAL delighted to do this but Sirri was unfortunately among them.Her Majesty's Government could not agree to discuss theTunbs and Abu Musa without Sirri. The two Tunbs onlymight be possible. They were claimed by one Ruler.The other two isla nds must be considered together. They wereboth claimed by the Ruler of Sharjah. But he asked why theIranian delegation could not agree to start with the Qatarand Abu Dhabi sector. No islands were involved there.Mr. Teimur suggested that if they could agree on the two Tunbsit might facilitate negotiations about the rest of the line,If not, perhaps they should break up and the discussions becontinued later in Tehran. Mr. Brenchley said that there waslittle point in arranging for further discussions unless theIranians meanwhile changed their ground over Sirri. TheMedian Line in the Sharjah sector would never be drawn unlessthey did so, Mr. Teimur read out a draft communiqué. His delegationcould not prolong their stay after 12 February. He suggestedthat the communiqué should state that the two sides haddiscussed the question and agreed to continue discussions inTehran at some future date. Mr. Brenchley said that he mustreport to his superiors before giving Her Majesty's Government'sconsidered answer to the Iranian proposals and to the questionof continuing the negotia tions. He would like to make twofinal points. First, he found it difficult to reconcile theIranian delegation's present attitude with the Shah's statementsto Mr. Thomson in Tehran last September. There was no suggestionthen that the four disputed islands would be a breaking point.Secondly, if no progress had been made in the talks, practicalproblems remained. The Atlantic oil rig was, of course, thecbvious one. Mr, Teimur asked for an explanation, saying thatthis was a technical matter. Mr. Brenchley explained that theAtlantic Oil Company were drilling in the seabed claimed by bothIran and Abu Dhabi, The Ruler of Abu Dhabi had asked forarbitration. He had only been persuaded to defer his requestwhile äiscussions with the Iranians took place. There would beother problems, Mr. Teimur said that this was why they werehere. But the line they had provisionally agreed on was a longway from the Atlantic rig. Mr. Brenchley demurred. It wasless than one mile on the Iranian side of the line they had beendiscussing. Dr. Nalicy agreed that it was about one mile.Mr. Brenchley added that by any other method of constructingthe Median Line it would be on the Abu Dhabi side Mr. Teimur said that he was most disappointed not to havemade any progress. Both gides should think further. Mr. Brenchleyagreed that the British side would do so. But the Iranians mustalso. The British side had gone a long way to meet them.Mr. Teimur said that they were prepared to stop short of Sirri onlyif the three islands in dispute were enunerated in theAgreement. Mr. Bronchley repeated that this was not possible.Dr, Naficy returned to the practical problem S. He asked whetherit was fair that oil companies holding concessions from theArab Rulers should be free to operate on the Arabian side of theMedian Line while those holding concessions from the IranianGovernment were not permitted to operate on the Iranian side ofthe Line. Mr. Brenchley remarked that there was no MedianLine yet. Dr. Naficy asked whether all companies in the Gulfshould be asked to suspend operations. Mr. Brenchley repeatedthat the Ruler of Abu Dhabi had asked for international i arbitration CONFIDENTIAL
